Advance care planning is the process of thinking and talking about future medical decisions and the kind of care you would want if you were too sick to speak for yourself. The best time to make these decisions is when you can choose for yourself and one of the best ways to be sure your wishes are honored is to create an Advance Directive.
About Healthcare Advance DirectivesThinking about being at the end of life or in a situation where you cannot speak for yourself is difficult and uncomfortable. Taking time to think through your choices in advance, talking about them with people close to you, and writing down your wishes will help you and your loved ones feel more prepared. An Advance Directive is a written plan that helps your loved ones and healthcare providers make important decisions about your care. It speaks for you when you are unable to speak for yourself and provides directions about the care you want or don’t want. There is a worksheet that may help you think through your Advance Directive decisions.
You may revoke your Advance Directive at any time and create a new one. You are the only person that can change your Advance Directive and the choices you have made. An Idaho Advance Directive must be signed by you and does not need to be notarized or signed by a medical provider.
The Idaho Advance Directive includes two parts:
A safe and secure way to store your Advance Directive is through the Idaho Healthcare Directive Registry.
The Idaho Healthcare Directive Registry was transferred from the Secretary of State to the Department of Health and Welfare. The new secure, cloud-based system allows you to upload, create and/or share your Advance Directive.
Creating and storing your Advance Directive in the registry offers peace of mind in knowing your documents are available to your family and healthcare providers whenever they are needed.